Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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During last year's election campaign, one of the most frequently raised issues on the doors of Dublin West was the vibrancy of our suburban villages. The villages of Clonsilla, Ongar, Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Tyrrelstown are more than just residential areas or urban sprawl; they are distinct communities with their own character, identity and history. My constituents want to live in places with thriving and safe main streets, quality public facilities and amenities and a genuine sense of community. The reality on the ground can be one of congestion, homogenous main streets, unutilised or derelict heritage properties or features and, sometimes, retail vacancy and turnover.

Earlier this year, I had some positive engagement with Fingal County Council on this issue. Its town regeneration office is delivering town centre first programmes in several rural Fingal communities which qualify for funding under the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. It uses a toolkit, including a health check, in collaboration with the community, businesses and the council, to set out potential solutions and projects for the village. The town and village renewal scheme, rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, CLÁR or LEADER funding are then used to fund those projects.

Obviously, a rural designation would not apply to villages in Dublin 15. However, following my representations, and recognising the value of the town centre first framework and what it would bring to urban communities, Fingal County Council agreed to step outside the box and proceed with health checks for urban villages, funded from the council's resources, later this year or in 2026. This was to include Castleknock and Blanchardstown villages. I am grateful to the council for taking this step. However, it also has a request for me. Its resources will be limited. The key challenge is that the funding streams for the delivery of projects in rural areas, the town and village renewal scheme, the RRDF, CLÁR, LEADER or funding for gathering more elaborate data and doing research under the town centre first scheme is not available for urban villages, which limits the capacity of the council to deliver transformative or regeneration projects.

We are caught in a funding gap. Our villages are too big for schemes like the town and village renewal scheme, yet too small to qualify for the urban regeneration and development fund. We will be able to diagnose the problems in Blanchardstown and Castleknock, but not necessarily fix them. Suburban villages in my constituency are simply falling through the cracks of the existing funding streams. We need revisions to the town and village renewal scheme and the new towns and cities investment fund or the urban regeneration development fund to enable this much-needed regeneration work across urban communities. It is not just my constituency that would be impacted by this.

I raised this with the Taoiseach previously and he acknowledged the problem. He suggested I speak to the Minister for public expenditure. I am now coming to the Minister of State. There is a systemic funding gap and it requires a clear and practical solution. The solution is simple and we are staring right at it. We need to revise these schemes, especially for those identified for health checks under the town centre first policy.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank Deputy Currie for raising this issue. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary.

The Deputy mentioned the town centre first policy. As she said, it is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres and provide an integrated policy approach to the development of Irish towns. The town centre first policy supports the vision outlined in Our Rural Future for a thriving rural Ireland. It does this by providing a policy framework, financial support and access to funded capital schemes to facilitate the regeneration of rural Irish towns. This is to help make our rural towns and villages resilient and vibrant places to live, work, invest in and visit.

To this end, the Department’s rural development investment programme operates a range of capital schemes that are targeted at rural areas outside of more urban metropolitan locations. These schemes include, for example, the RRDF and the town and village renewal scheme. The town centre first policy was developed in conjunction with the Minister for housing. As such, the policy can and does have application to communities across larger and more urban towns as well as rural settlements. There are dedicated funding schemes, provided by that Department, available to local authorities to support larger and more urban towns, including the urban regeneration and development fund, the vacant property refurbishment grant under the croí conaithe initiative and the THRIVE scheme which revitalises our heritage buildings.

In line with its remit, my Department has supported the development of town centre first plans for Dublin towns like Rush and Lusk, which I note are not on the Deputy's list. A key element of the development of a town plan is the community's own identification of priority projects in that town, something the Deputy mentioned. The capital funding schemes available, such as the town and village renewal scheme, can then assist those communities in delivering on their aspirations, be this through a community centre, public realm works, public park or other community facility.

The town and village renewal scheme was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout lreland. Since the launch of the scheme, almost €184 million has been allocated to over 1,800 projects.

The scheme targets funding primarily at towns and villages outside of city metropolitan areas with populations of fewer than 10,000 people. However, towns with a population of up to 15,000 may be eligible if a high-quality application is received. I do not know if that refers to the towns Deputy Currie is speaking about. I heard what she said about the funding gap. I am not fully au fait with all of this, but I can see how some towns could fall through those cracks. While I know the intent of this programme, I still hear what the Deputy is saying. All I can say is that I will certainly bring this to the attention of the Minister. The Deputy is talking about revising these schemes and looking at where the gaps are. I think that is a reasonable and sensible thing to do, and I will make sure that her query and concern are relayed to the Minister.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate that. The Minister of State has made the town and village renewal scheme sound even more attractive with how she described it. However, we are not eligible for it. She also referenced the urban regeneration and development fund. Again, we are too small for those projects. We are, as a suburban area, falling between those gaps. I acknowledge what she said about the THRIVE scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant. However, it is the description of the town and village renewal scheme that ticks the boxes I am talking about. It can assist those communities in delivering on their aspirations, be that through a community centre, public realm works, a public park, public lighting or other such community facility. It is the ability for a community to define what the issue is and work together to solve it in a collaborative way. What is happening here is the funds and the policies are excellent and already exist. What we are asking for is to make our communities eligible for them in order that we can have the same opportunity for place making. Our villages are just as distinct and have just as much character. It is to build on that and emphasise it and bring out the best in our communities. That is what making these funds available would do.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I will go back for a minute to the town and village renewal scheme. I know Deputy Currie is talking about certain towns or villages being too big and others being too small. I say again that funding has been allocated under the town and village scheme to Fingal County Council to support projects in the county. I mentioned Rush but I can also mention Skerries, St. Margaret's and Donabate. This funding includes funding under the building acquisition measure of 2023 for the purchase of a former parochial house and coach house in St. Margaret's to develop a multipurpose community space. Funding was approved to support the development of the Floraville park in the centre of the town of Skerries. As I said, public realm improvements were funded in Donabate and Rush. I am not sure this is exactly what the Deputy wants to hear, and she will forgive me if I am not-----

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is not my area.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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Yes, I know, but I can only quote what is in front of me and what is possible. It may not be her area but the idea here, and she is the best judge of this, is that this is possible in similar areas, and it is what might be done. I heard what she has said and I fully understand her frustration. While there is really good intent in all of these projects, a really good push behind them and successes, perhaps in some instances it does not fit the place the Deputy is speaking about. It is too big for some areas and too small for others. All I can promise is that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, will hear clearly what the Deputy has had to say on this issue and her concern about the need to perhaps refocus slightly.